Something to Hold On To
by Autobot Guardian
Summary: After his first year as a Bounty Hunter, Embo takes a high-paying job on Iridonia... where he meets someone that he can't get out of his head. He had already let his best friend into his heart... will he be willing to do it for another as well? And what is this effect they have on him? Follow Embo and his friends on yet another adventure!
1. Chapter 1

_**Ok, everyone, this is a part of my ATWOFT AU, and takes place about a year after he first became a Bounty Hunter! He is hired by some Iridonian Zabraks to help out in defeating another village that was trying to take their lands… but what happens when he meets a young woman who has fire in her eyes and an aura of safety around her?**_

 _ **DISCLAIMERS!**_

 _ **The author doesn't own Star Wars, or any characters from the series; I only own the OCs and the AU.**_

* * *

" _Courage isn't having the strength to go on - it is going on when you don't have strength."_

― _Napoléon Bonaparte_

" _The bravest thing I have ever done was continuing to live when I wanted to die."_

 _~ Juliette Lewis_

* * *

The Kyuzo walked out of his ship, soon finding himself in a crowd of Zabrak warriors.

"Good, good, you came!" The tribe leader said, grinning. Embo stared at him, unamused.

" **Of course I came; it would be dishonorable not to follow through with a deal already agreed upon,** " the Kyuzo said flatly, no emotion in his voice. This seemed to unsettle the natives… except for a purple-haired woman a few yards away. She only seemed to become interested in him, her brown eyes seeming to try to look past his emotionless front to how he was feeling.

"Of course it would, Bounty Hunter," the tribe leader said, bringing Embo's attention away from the young woman. "Now, we must plan our attack on our enemies."

As the plan was laid out, Embo listened carefully, not saying a word the entire time. Then, somehow, the purple-haired Zabrak woman was standing right next to him, and he could see that her tattoos looked like they had only been drawn into her skin a few days ago. Somehow… standing next to this young woman… he felt… _safe_.

He couldn't recall the last time he had felt like that, but now, standing next to a person he didn't even know, he felt like nothing could hurt him. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her studying him, like he was a puzzle she wanted to figure out.

When the plan was laid out, the attack group dispersed to prepare for battle.

"Your name is Embo, right?"

Embo looked over, and saw that the young woman was following him.

" **Yes,** " he said flatly, his tone still emotionless. However, it did not deter her.

"I'm Sugi," she said, and he felt like she wanted something from him. However, it was obvious that she didn't know much Kyuzoni.

He didn't answer.

She didn't seem to care.

* * *

Embo leaned heavily against a thick-trunked tree, favoring his broken right leg, while pressing a hand against a large gash in his chest and left side .

The attack had been a partial success; they had driven the enemy from the lands of the tribe, but they had suffered heavy losses. And Embo had been separated from the group.

Apparently, the opposing tribe had thought him enough of a threat as to get between him and his allies, then descended upon him like a starving pack of anoobas. He had managed to take most of them out, the few survivors fleeing, but he had been badly injured.

With a pained groan, he slid down the tree he had been leaning on, now sitting slumped against the trunk, darkness biting at the edges of his vision.

Maybe… maybe this wouldn't be so bad… maybe it was his time now…

Suddenly, the young woman from earlier, Sugi, came into his line of sight, kneeling down next to him.

"Embo… you ok?" She asked, something akin to worry in her voice.

That was weird. Why would anyone worry for _him_? He was nobody; a failure, worse than nothing. Nobody really worried for him.

Then, to his surprise, the young woman went closer to him, gently prying his hand away from his wounds so she could have a better look at them. Embo was too tired and hurting to try to stop her; besides, she made him feel safe. He somehow knew that she wouldn't hurt him.

"This is bad," she whispered, gently prodding at the long, deep gash that stretched from Embo's right shoulder to his lower left side. It was bleeding profusely, a small pool of dark red blood already forming under the Kyuzo.

Embo knew that his chances were slim… but something about this woman made him feel the need to continue living; to not give up.

Then, a trio of Zabrak men came into the small clearing, and, after seeing the Kyuzo's condition, carefully picked up the Bounty Hunter, trying not to cause him more pain…

Embo soon blacked out, pain and exhaustion overwhelming him...

* * *

 _ **And that's it for chapter one! Let me know what you all thought of it, and I'll see you again soon!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**We're back, everyone! Just so you all know, I'm writing this all out of my head, no paper-to-digital copying involved! I ran out of notebooks to write in, so I'm using the phone I have that doesn't have a SIM card yet.**_

 _ **You all know what the disclaimers are… I get tired of repeating myself...**_

* * *

" _Unexpected kindness is the most powerful,_

 _Least costly, and most underrated agent of human change."_

 _~ Bob Kerry_

" _The ache for home lives in all of us._

 _The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned."_

 _~ Maya Angelou_

* * *

When Embo came to, he was lying on a bed in what looked like an infirmary, the wounded from the battle on similar beds all around the large room. To his surprise, however, the young woman, Sugi, was sitting at his bedside.

"Good, you're awake," she said, smiling. He stared at her in confusion, and it was the first emotion that the woman had seen in him since she first saw him. "The medics treated your injuries; you should be good to go in a few days."

" **Ok…** " he said slowly, getting his emotionless front back up. " **Thank you.** "

"You're welcome," Sugi said, puzzled by his actions. She had never met anyone who was so distant, so detached, so indifferent to everything around him. It just made her want to figure him out even more. "So… what is it like, traveling the stars?"

He looked at her, unable to hide his surprise. Then, using the most basic words he could in his native language, he said, " **Better than being average.** "

It was true, since most Kyuzo never left Phatrong. Sugi didn't speak for a minute, obviously translating his words in her head, and then she looked confused.

"Average? So, not many leave your planet?" He shook his head, and she looked thoughtful. Suddenly, he realized just what it was she wanted from him.

She wanted to go out into the galaxy, to explore the universe, and he was her chance to do it. He had a ship, and the ability to fly it.

But would he be willing to take her?

* * *

A few days later, Embo was getting ready to leave. He had been given his 200,000 credits as payment for his services, and was healed enough to travel.

Suddenly, just as he was about to walk (actually, limp) into his ship, he heard someone shout behind him.

"Wait! Hold on there!"

Embo turned, and saw Sugi running over to him. She had a duffel bag slung over her shoulder, and a blaster strapped to her hip. When she stopped in front of him, she looked up at his eyes.

"I want to go with you," she stated, brown eyes challenging. "I want to go to the stars and become a greater warrior than I am now."

Embo stared back at her indifferently, trying to figure out what to do. Somehow… he felt like he didn't want to refuse her.

Wordlessly, he jerked his head towards his ship, and Sugi grinned.

"Thanks! I promise you won't regret it!"

* * *

 _ **And that's chapter two! I'm literally not sure where this is going to go from here specifically, but I know a basic plot for it! Until next time!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Ok, chapter three, here we go! I'm literally writing this on my phone while on a road trip with my dad and little brother, so don't be surprised if it's short or has misspellings.**_

 _ **I do not own Star Wars, only the plot and OCs, plus the creatures I had to make up for Phatrong.**_

* * *

" _Allowing people to contribute in your life is a leap of faith._

 _And that comes gradually with self actualization and overcoming fears of uncertainty."_

― _Deepak Chandra_

* * *

Embo left his ship on autopilot, going to the back to get some food and check on his new traveling buddy.

Sugi was glued to the window, watching the galaxy zoom by, as the ship traveled through hyperspace.

" **Sugi,** " he said, getting her attention, " **I have a… word book for you.** "

Sugi stared at him for a few minutes, and he felt a little frustrated at how long it took her to mentally translate everything he said. Finally, she smiled.

"You're wanting me to study your language so we can actually talk, aren't you?" She asked, and the Kyuzo nodded. "Well, I'm probably going to need help with the pronunciations… could you teach me?"

" **Yes.** " He answered, glad that she at least was seriously interested in this. Even though it might take a while for her to be able to understand the entire language.

Well, at least he wouldn't be bored.

* * *

The Kyuzo sat at the small table with Sugi, trusting the autopilot to get the two of them to his rendezvous with a friend in one piece. The Zabrak had a holopad in front of her, and was trying her hardest to understand the unfamiliar words.

"So… what is the co… couk…" she said, struggling to pronounce one of the words. Embo decided to help her.

" **Koocoorrada,** " he said, looking at the word over her shoulder, " **it's a semi-aquatic predator from my planet.** "

"Oh," she said, nodding. The two of them had been at this for several days now, and Sugi understood much more of what the Kyuzo was saying. "So, they're dangerous?"

" **Very,** " Embo said, nodding. " **Just one of them can take out ten or more warriors before being killed themselves. I'm one of the few to take one out by myself, and even then it was a very young one.** "

Sugi nodded, refraining from asking more about the creature to avoid him having to use words she didn't know yet. Then, Embo stood up.

" **I need to get back to the controls; we're almost there.** "

"Almost where?"

" **Coruscant. We're meeting up with a friend of mine there,** " he said, and her eyes shone with excitement. He went back to the cockpit, just as their ship left hyperspace. Taking the controls, Embo flew the ship to the city-planet, while putting a call through to his friend. Soon, a blue hologram of a Duros man in his early twenties came up, and Embo smiled behind his mask.

 _:Embo! Good to see you, pal!:_ the Duros said, grinning. Embo nodded to him.

" **It's good to hear your voice, Cad,** " he said, then continued, " **Sorry I was late; I had to stay on Iridonia for a few days until I was strong enough to travel, and then I had a tag-along.** "

 _:You brought someone with you?:_ Cad asked, surprised. Embo nodded.

" **She's from the tribe I was helping. She has a lot of potential, and is even taking the time to learn Kyuzoni. Her name is Sugi; she asked me to take her with me, and I just couldn't refuse for some reason.** " The Duros looked thoughtful, considering.

 _:I have room in my apartment for her to join us when you get here… I'll meet you at the usual place to give you a ride.:_ he said, then smiled at his friend. _:I'm glad you're going to be ok, pal, but take it easy for a few days, ok? Give yourself time to heal.:_

" **I intend to, my friend,** " Embo said tiredly. He knew that he should definitely stay off his feet as much as possible, especially with his still-healing leg. It was in a splint, which the medics on Iridonia had put on him, but it wasn't as good as a cast would be. " **I plan to go to the hospital for treatment as soon as possible; I have a broken leg and a large knife wound. The medics stitched up the knife wound, but it feels like the stitches are trying to come out sometimes, and my leg needs more than this splint.** "

 _:I'll call them, let them know that you're coming.:_ Cad said, looking worried. : _I'm going to sign off now, see you two soon.:_

" **Thanks, Cad,** " Embo said, relieved. The hologram fizzled out of existence, and he went on to driving his ship to his usual spot to land on the planet...

* * *

Sugi helped Embo limp out of the _Guillotine_ , his right arm over her shoulders , just as a Duros man wearing a wide-brimmed leather hat drove up in a speeder. The Kyuzo's broken leg had gotten worse after he had accidentally bumped it against a box in his ship, to the point where he couldn't even stand on it! His normally-stoic facial features were twisted in pain, and he was gritting his teeth so hard that he was surprised they hadn't cracked from the strain. To top it off, when he had fallen over the box, some of the stitches in his chest and side had been stretched to the point of tearing out of his skin, causing the wound to start bleeding again!

His traveling companion had done her best to stop the bleeding, using bandages and gauze to re-wrap his torso, trying to wrap them tightly enough to make the flow stop, but still allow him to breathe.

"Embo!" Cad called out, vaulting from his speeder and running to get to the two of them, worry showing clearly in his face. Embo looked at him, pain in his gold eyes, trying to reign in the agony he was feeling. The Duros came up on the Kyuzo's left side, slinging that arm over his shoulders, and taking some of Embo's weight off of the Zabrak. "Hang on, pal… we'll get you to the hospital." Then, he looked at Sugi. "You, help me get him into the speeder!"

"Ok," she said, as the two of them half-carried the wounded Kyuzo to the four-person speeder. They got Embo laid down in the backseat, and Sugi sat in the front passenger seat, reaching back to hold the Kyuzo's hand, while Cad drove the speeder as fast as possible to the hospital without going over the speed limit. At the same time, he was contacting the hospital staff.

"Listen, my friend just got here, and it looks like his condition got worse!" The Duros said loudly, and the doctor on the holocomm looked concerned.

 _:Would you be able to explain what happened to him, so we know what we're dealing with?:_ he asked, and Cad looked at Sugi.

"I can," she said, "I was there. Originally, his injuries are from a battle on my planet, between my tribe and another that was trying to take our lands. The leader of my tribe hired Embo to help drive the other tribe away, but he was injured during the battle. The other tribe saw him as enough of a threat that they separated him from the rest of us, and during that fight, his right leg was broken with bone sticking out, and he sustained a deep knife wound that goes from his right shoulder to his lower left side."

 _:And now?:_

"Well, the medics had treated his wounds, but they aren't as skilled as many I've heard about. They set his leg and splinted it, as well as stitched the wounds, but not very well. Just after we landed here, he was tired, so he didn't see a box on the floor, and hit his bad leg on it," Sugi explained, glancing back at Embo, who had his fingers wrapped around her hand in a slightly painful grip. "The impact… I think it might have been enough to shift the break at least a little, because he can't stand on it anymore, and he fell. That made about one fourth of the stitches in his torso rip out, and he's bleeding again. I… I wrapped it as best I could…"

 _:You did well, miss. A few others on the medical staff were listening; they're getting ready to treat him now.:_ Then, Cad spoke again.

"We're almost at the hospital; is anyone there to take him in?"

 _:Yes,:_ the doctor said, nodding. _:A few doctors and nurses went out to wait for you with a gurney and first aid supplies.:_

"Thanks, Doc," Cad said, ending the call

Then, he landed the speeder in front of the hospital, and the group of two doctors and three nurses hurried over, a hovering gurney with them, as Sugi and the Duros gently checked on Embo.

"A Kyuzo!" One of the nurses said in surprise, staring at the wounded man. They knew what she was thinking. His species made this more complicated, since he was prone to breathing problems if they didn't have something giving him humid air to breathe. And if, for some reason, he lashed out at them, even in his weakened state, one punch could break bones. And not his own.

However, the doctors weren't phased. They started calling orders, one of them sending a message back for the others to take necessary actions to compensate for the patient's physiology. Embo still hadn't let go of Sugi's hand, his eyes squeezed shut, and breathing sharply in pain. The bandages were so soaked in some places that blood was slowly staining his shirt, and a small spot of blood had appeared about halfway down from his right knee, the discoloration in his brown leggings looking almost black.

"I hope he has another set of clothes," one nurse commented, as she was forced to cut off the Kyuzo's shirt to look at his injuries. "Because I don't think we're going to be able to save the shirt or leggings. The skirt will be fine, though."

"Yeah, he's got extras at the apartment," Cad said, recognizing the lady's attempt at lightening the situation. When the nurse finally got Embo's shirt off, however, the faint humor was gone.

The Kyuzo's torso was wrapped all the way from his right shoulder to a few inches above his hips, a huge blotch of dark crimson blood soaking the fabric and gauze, and that blotch was spreading at an alarming rate.

"This is bad…" the nurse said softly, then turned to the doctors, "Doctor! He's going to need a blood transfusion!"

"I'll put in the order to synthesize blood," the doctor said, "Just send the old bandages to the technicians so they have a sample to base it from!"

Soon, the soaked bandages and gauze were rushed away by one of the three nurses, and fresh bandages wrapped around Embo's torso to at least lessen his blood loss. He was rushed into the hospital on the gurney, and Cad and Sugi were left alone by the speeder.

"Come on," the Duros said to the Zabrak, going back to the speeder. Sugi was staring at the doors of the hospital.

"Will he be ok?" She asked, and Cad sighed.

"I don't know, but there's nothing we can do. The apartment isn't far from here, and if anything happens, the hospital has my number. I end up in there pretty often, and the doctor I called knows Embo is my best friend." He then shook his head. "Now get in; if you're going to be hanging around and learning Embo's language, the apartment is the best place."

Reluctantly, Sugi returned to the speeder, buckling in next to Cad. Soon, they were on their way...

* * *

 _ **Ok… Well, you guys know me and plot twists… I don't know what to do without some kind of drama involved… I just didn't want this storyline to end after only a few chapters, and since I'm writing this all directly out of my head, and not from pre-written chapters I had thought up in a notebook, it's a bit more challenging to get a lot of chapters out. BTW, I'm still typing up "Didn't go as Planned," but since I already have it in a notebook, it can wait. Also, I decided to split that story into two different stories, since I had somehow changed the plot halfway through, so be prepared!**_

 _ **R &R!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ok, sorry about how the last chapter was so stressful, but you all probably know by now, if you've read any of my other stories, that I live off of plot twists like this. Well, let's get on with it.**_

 _ **You know the disclaimers by now.**_

* * *

" _Until one has loved an animal_

 _A part of one's soul remains unawakened."_

 _~ Anatole France_

* * *

When Sugi woke up, it was the middle of the night, and Cad was shaking her shoulder.

"What is it?" She muttered, accent so thick it was hard to understand her.

"The hospital just called; Embo's stable, but they're going to keep an eye on him for a few days. They said we can see him in the morning." Sugi was instantly more awake, and sat up a little.

"He's going to be ok?"

"They think so, but that could change at any time. I just thought you'd like to know what they said." With that, he went back to his own room, and Sugi went back to sleep, her dreams more peaceful than before.

* * *

When morning came, Sugi stumbled half-asleep into the little kitchen, only to find Cad already there, eating his breakfast and drinking a cup of caf. Sugi quickly located the pot of caf, and poured a mug for herself.

"Not a morning person?" The Duros asked in amusement, chuckling when the Zabrak merely grunted. Sugi downed the entire mug of caf in a few seconds, poured another, then walked over to the table. She looked more awake now, though her eyes were still half-closed.

"What's there to eat?" She asked, and Cad pushed a plate of leftover bantha roast over to her.

"I'm trying to clean out the fridge," he said, but Sugi didn't care. It was warm, and it was food. She ate it quickly, drinking her caf between every other bite, and they were both soon finished.

"What do we do with the dishes?" Sugi asked, and Cad shook his head.

"Usually, we'd wash them and leave them to dry, but we don't have time today," he said, standing up. "I've got a set of clothes ready to bring to the hospital, and I'm going to need to show you around after we visit. I also need to run a few errands… we're running low on a few things."

"I'll go get my shoes," Sugi said, walking out of the room. Soon, she was back, and the two of them left the apartment.

* * *

When they arrived at the hospital, Cad went up to the reception desk, and they were guided to Embo's room in the ICU.

The Kyuzo lay on the bed, hooked up to two separate IVs, one giving him medicines and fluids, and the other giving him what was obviously the synthesized blood. A medical mask was fitted over his mouth and nose, and his right leg was encased in a white cast and elevated by a sling. His torso was wrapped in fresh bandages, and a heart monitor beeped slowly and steadily beside him. He was asleep.

For some reason, seeing such a strong person looking so fragile made Sugi feel like her hearts were breaking into a million tiny pieces. It scared her, seeing Embo like this. Like he was made of glass that would shatter at the slightest touch.

"Poor Embo…" She whispered, while Cad was talking to the doctor. Sugi went over to the bed, and sat down in the chair next to it. Then, just as she was about to reach for Embo's hand, another nurse came in.

"Excuse me for interrupting, doctor, but there is a woman here to visit the patients. She says that she wants to see as many of them as possible…"

"Who is this woman?" The doctor asked, and the nurse swallowed.

"Commander Tanoka Anko of the Grand Army of the Republic."

"Mr. Bane, is it all right for the Commander to visit your friend?" The doctor asked, and Cad nodded.

Just as Embo woke up, a Togruta woman with orange skin and form-fitting blue and green clothing walked in. The Kyuzo looked at Sugi, eyes slightly vacant.

" **Sugi…** " He said softly, and the Zabrak chuckled. ' _Sounds like someone's on some powerful pain meds._ '

"Good morning, Embo," She said, just as the Commander came over, a clone following her with armfuls of small wrapped packages.

"Hello," She said, attracting Embo's attention. "I'm Tanoka; I just came by to wish you a speedy recovery, and to give you a small gift." She took one of the packages from her subordinate, and placed it within reach on his bedside table.

" **Thank you for your concern,** " he said weakly, and when the Commander looked confused, Sugi translated for her.

"You are welcome, Brave One," Tanoka said, smiling softly. It felt to Embo that she had somehow seen right through him, right into his soul, and it made him feel nervous. However, she didn't seem to be judging him badly… it was more like she respected him.

After a few more minutes, the Commander and the clone moved on to the next room. Cad went to sit next to his friend as well, putting a hand on Embo's good shoulder.

"The doc says you're probably going to be able to come to the apartment in about a a week, if everything goes well." Embo smiled tiredly at the Duros, eyes starting to drift shut again.

" **That's good…** " he mumbled sleepily, and the doctor came over.

"I think it's time to let him rest," he said, "you can come back later."

"Thanks for taking care of him, doc," Cad said, getting up. Sugi stood as well, gently giving Embo's hand a squeeze.

When they left, the Kyuzo was sound asleep...

* * *

"Ok, Sugi, first thing's first; I gotta go to the market to get a few things," Cad said, driving the speeder through Coruscant. "You probably should think about getting a few things yourself, like a change of clothes so you can get the ones you're wearing cleaned."

"But… I have no money," the Zabrak said, looking at him worriedly.

"I'll give you some; Embo and I always share our paychecks, so he won't mind you getting some. Besides, I already sent half of it to Phatrong for him."

"Why Phatrong?"

"He always sends half of his earnings to the village he was raised in, as his way of helping his father keep the village going," Cad explained, as they approached the large market. "He's one of the sons of the village chief."

Before Sugi could ask more, the Duros parked the speeder, pocketed the keys, and hopped out. "Come on, and stay close. Don't want you getting lost in the crowd."

* * *

As Cad was showing Sugi around the market, stopping a few times to make purchases, the Zabrak was distracted by a soft whining sound, like some kind of scared animal. Then , there was a loud yelp of pain, and the sound of glass breaking!

"Sugi! Get back here!" Cad shouted, as the Zabrak ran off. She ignored him.

Soon, Sugi found an angry-looking human man, holding an empty glass bottle, glaring at a dirty gray ball of fur cowering in the corner of an alley. The little animal was surrounded by the remains of another glass bottle, and some were stuck in its fur. The man was about to throw the other bottle, but Sugi pulled a knife from her belt, and pinned him to the wall, the blade to his throat.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Sugi snarled in his face. The man's breath reeked of alcohol, and he seemed irrationally furious.

"What do _you_ care about that ruby?" He snapped, baring his teeth. They were crooked and slightly yellow, one of them covered in metal.

"The poor thing did nothing to you," the Zabrak growled, pressing her knife closer to the man's throat. "I may be new to this planet, but I _do_ know that there are laws against how you treated that animal."

"It's a runty stray!" The man snarled, looking a little crazed. He was obviously drunk. "Probably feral and diseased! I'd be doing everyone a favor getting rid of it!"

Sugi couldn't take it anymore. She yanked her knife away from his throat, then swung her other fist at him, punching him in the face and knocking him out cold. As the drunken man slumped to the ground, Sugi went over to the little animal in the corner of the alley.

The poor thing was whining, staring at the Zabrak with big, terrified eyes. As she approached, it curled up in a ball, trying to look smaller and non-threatening, and Sugi felt like her heart broke at the sight.

"It's ok… I'm not going to hurt you," She said softly, kneeling down next to the little animal. Carefully, she slid her hands under the dirty grey fluff ball, and gently lifted it into her arms. "There, see? You're ok…"

Then, just as she walked out of the alley, Cad caught up to her.

"There you are," he said, panting. Then, he saw the little animal in her arms. "What is… That's an anooba!"

"Anooba?" Sugi asked, cradling the little fur ball.

"Yeah… looks to be about two months old…" the Duros said, looking closely at the puppy. "It's a boy… really thin and small, though…"

"A man was attacking him," Sugi said, "Aren't there laws against that?"

"Yeah, there are," Cad said, frowning. "Stay here, I'll get a police droid."

* * *

Ten minutes later, the man Sugi had knocked out was taken into custody, Sugi was interviewed, and pictures were taken of both the puppy and the alleyway. When the police droids left, Sugi looked at Cad.

"I really don't want to just leave this little guy at a shelter…" she said, holding the little anooba puppy close to her. Then, she got an idea. "You know… Embo always seems so… distant. Almost to the point that he's completely antisocial."

"Yeah?" Cad said, confused. He's known Embo for a little over a year now, and he hadn't really thought anything was off about him before… but now that he thought about it, he realized that his best friend didn't really have anyone to interact with, other than him, and now Sugi. He must be so lonely…

"Maybe we can give him this little guy as a pet!" Sugi said happily, and Cad smiled. Yes… maybe a pet was just what Embo needed.

* * *

After returning to the apartment, anooba puppy in hand, Sugi and Cad went to the 'fresher to clean the little guy up. They had purchased some pet shampoo and some food and such, so they could take care of the puppy while Embo was in the hospital.

"Make sure the water isn't too hot," Sugi told Cad, still holding the little anooba.

"Don't worry, it's not," the Duros said, filling the tub. Then, the Zabrak put the puppy in the water, causing a bit of splashing and momentary panic. Soon, however, he calmed down, and enjoyed the scrubbing from the two humanoids.

"Hey… this little guy isn't grey," Sugi said, as dirt and grime washed away to reveal bright white fur.

"A white anooba…" Cad said, amazed. "They're really rare…"

* * *

The next morning, Cad and Sugi went back to the hospital. They had gotten permission to bring the puppy inside to show to Embo, mainly because they had a veterinarian check him out beforehand. The little white fur ball seemed to know that something big was going on, because he was trotting happily beside Sugi, head held high and tail wagging excitedly. The Zabrak was holding his leash, and Cad had a small bag of treats in his jacket pocket.

When they walked into the room, they saw that Embo was already awake, and looked far more alert than the last time they visited.

"Hey, pal," Cad said, going over and sitting down next to the bed. Embo smiled at him tiredly, happy to see his best friend. Then, he noticed Sugi picking up a little, wriggling, white ball of fluff from the floor, and he looked over curiously. Then, his eyes widened in surprise.

"We brought you a little friend," Sugi said, bringing the anooba puppy over to the Kyuzo. Embo stared at it, not able to believe his eyes.

" **H-How… where…** " he said haltingly, trying to form the words. Sugi smiled sadly.

"When we went to the market yesterday, I found a man beating him in an alley. I rescued him, and Cad and I decided to give him to you as a loyal companion." Then, she sat down in the chair next to the Duros, and held the puppy out to the Kyuzo. "Go on, he's yours."

Shakily, Embo reached over, careful of the IV still in his right wrist (the blood transfusion had been completed, so they took the other IV out earlier), and took the puppy from Sugi. The little thing stopped wriggling, tilting his head at Embo curiously, his tail still wagging. The Kyuzo put the puppy next to him on his bed, and the adorable creature curled up by his right side, laying his head on the section of his chest that had no injuries. When Embo started to stroke the puppy's head, the little ball of fluff licked his hand, causing the Kyuzo to chuckle softly.

" **He's so adorable…** " he said, unable to help himself. The puppy seemed to know just what to do to make him feel better; staying calm and offering licks and companionship and love. Then, Embo thought of something, and smiled. " **I think I'll call him… Marrok.** "

* * *

 _ **WHOA! Who saw THAT coming, huh? I decided to run a little longer with this chapter to make up for the shortness of some of the others, so I hope you enjoyed it! I bet you were all wondering why Marrok wasn't involved in the first three chapters… it was because he hadn't met Embo yet!**_

 _ **As usual, please R &R!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Ok, chapter 5, coming up! Last chapter, I know I cut off kinda abruptly, but I had decided that the chapter was getting a bit too long, and I was wanting to get to the point where Embo went home! So, here I am, doing a time skip!**_

 _ **You know the drill.**_

* * *

" _A person who truly loves you is someone who sees the pain in your eyes,_

 _While everyone else still believes in the smile on your face."  
_ ― _Danielle Rose-West_

* * *

Embo was gently guided to the speeder by his two friends, both of them supporting him so he didn't walk on his still-healing leg, and little Marrok was waiting happily in the backseat.

" **Thanks for coming to get me…** " the Kyuzo said tiredly, smiling behind his mask. The other two smiled back, although Sugi saw something in his gold eyes that made her feel worried. Now that she knew him better, she also knew a bit about reading him, seeing past his walls to what he was really feeling.

His eyes were haunted, like the eyes of some of the older warriors she had met. But Embo was only nineteen… how could he already have such old eyes? What had he seen in his life that did this to him?

Once they had gotten Embo into the speeder, the Zabrak gave him a blanket, since it was the colder part of the year on Coruscant. Now that she could see him, really see him, she felt a little protective of the Kyuzo, especially since he was injured. He seemed surprised now, having her taking care of him like this.

" **Sugi… you don't have to…** " he said, but she shook her head, looking at him in a stern, joking fashion.

"Embo, you are hurt, and cannot walk on your own, so I am going to take care of you," she said, smiling a little. He was always trying to be so strong… "Your job is to get better, our job is to make sure you do your job. Enjoy it."

"She's got you there, pal," Cad said, chuckling. He was already in the driver's seat, and when Sugi got settled in the front passenger seat, they drove off.

Back at the apartment, Sugi and Cad helped Embo get to his bedroom, where the Zabrak went into "fussy mother hen" mode, making sure that the Kyuzo was comfortable and getting him something to eat, much to his embarrassment and his Duros friend's extreme amusement.

" **Sugi…** " Embo said softly, cheeks going red, " **you really don't have to do this for me…** "

"Yeah, I do," She said, bringing him some soup, "I feel like I owe you; if it wasn't for you, I might never have been able to leave Iridonia."

And so, Embo surrendered to her coddling, feeling safer than he could ever remember. It… actually felt kinda nice, having someone worry over him like this. Soon, he fell asleep…

But it wasn't restful.

* * *

When Sugi came back into Embo's room, she found him twitching restlessly in his sleep, breathing rapidly in distress! Quickly, she dropped the clean bandages she had been bringing him, and rushed to his bedside.

"Embo… Embo, it's ok, it's just a dream!" She said, shaking his left shoulder to wake him up.

" **No… no…** " he moaned, obviously having some nightmare.

Suddenly, he woke up with a soft gasp, eyes wide and struggling to get his breathing under control!

Not knowing what else to do, Sugi sat down next to him on the bed, and carefully pulled him into her arms, gently rubbing his back to help him calm down. He struggled a bit at first, not registering what was happening, but then surrendered to the embrace once he realized where he was.

" **Sugi…** " he said softly, uncertainly, even a little scared. The Zabrak just held him a little tighter, wishing she knew how to take away his suffering… suffering she now saw clearly in his eyes.

"Shhh… it's ok… you're ok…" she murmured, unwilling to let him suffer alone. She didn't know why, but she wanted to protect him from anything that would hurt him. "Is there anything I can do? Something to make you feel better?"

Embo stayed silent for a few minutes, wondering if he should say what he wanted to. What he knew would make it better… what his damaged heart needed.

Finally, he whispered, " **just… stay here… I don't want to be alone…** "

"You won't be alone…" Sugi said, pulling him in a little closer. "I'll be right here… I'll take care of you…"

And that was, strangely, all Embo needed. All he could ever really need.

Maybe… just maybe… letting Sugi into his heart wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.

* * *

"What do you mean you're leaving?!" Sugi shouted at the Duros, who winced at the volume.

"I'll be back in a week or two!" Cad replied, trying to avoid the Zabrak's glare. "We're running low on cash, and I found a job that'll pay well! I'm going with another friend of mine to do this job, and then I'll come right back!"

"But Embo is still healing!" Sugi cried, frantic, "He…"

"Has you," Cad said, trying to avoid potentially getting his head ripped off by the irate woman. "I know you don't know your way around yet, so I'm having another friend help you out with that. Her name is Leik, and she's a Nautolan. Her usual partner, Urii, is helping me out with this job."

"Does Embo know them, too?" Sugi asked, and Cad nodded.

"They partnered with us on our third bounty together; they watched our backs, we watched theirs. The two of them are both a couple years older than me; more experienced too, and they know this planet like the back of their hands."

"Well, when will they…" Sugi was about to ask when the two women would arrive, when there was a knock at the door.

"Right now," the Duros said, grinning. He went and opened the door, revealing a green-skinned Nautolan woman wearing a dark brown jumpsuit and a pair of black combat boots, and an amber-eyed Korun woman wearing a dark green jumpsuit and black combat boots with her braided black hair up in a thick ponytail.

"Hello, Bane," the Korun said, smiling, "ready to go?"

"Who's your girlfriend?" The Nautolan asked, her joking tone clearly heard. Sugi rolled her eyes, arms crossed.

"I'm Sugi, and I'm _not_ his girlfriend," she said, irritated. "I'm just a friend."

"Ah, So _you're_ the famous Sugi I've been hearing about!" Leik said, grinning. "It's not everyday that Embo takes someone under his wing, you know! People have been talking about it from here to Tatooine!"

"Really?" Sugi asked, blushing.

"Yeah!" Leik said, then, leaning towards the Zabrak, "So, have you been learning secret Kyuzo techniques? Anything having to do with fighting?"

"Actually…" Sugi said sadly, "I've only been learning his language so far. He was injured during a battle on my planet, and he only got out of the hospital a few days ago."

"Ohhh… poor Embo," the Nautolan said sadly, her smile fading. "He's a good guy… Is he doing ok?"

"He's getting better," Sugi assured, thinking back to when Embo had had that nightmare the very day he had come back. After she had sat with him for a few hours, he seemed to open up to her more, like he was finally feeling like he could actually trust her. "He can't walk right now, and the doctors put him on strict bed rest, so I kinda need some help taking care of him."

"Because you don't know your way around?" Leik asked wryly, and looked at Cad. "Bane, you sly dog, you didn't mention I'd be playing chauffeur. I thought I'd just be watching your apartment for you."

"You didn't tell her?!" the Zabrak asked Bane incredulously, and the Duros grinned.

"Just wanted to see her reaction." Cad said, then turned to Urii, "We should get going."

"Indeed," the woman replied, adjusting the position of the strap of a sniper rifle on her back so that it was more comfortable.

"Just out of curiosity, what will you two be doing?" Sugi asked, looking at them.

"Sabotaging a droid base."

* * *

 _ **Oookayyy… that ended up longer than I expected… and sorry about the abrupt cliffhanger, but I needed a place to end the chapter, and I couldn't think of anything else to add to this chapter, so… yeah.**_

 _ **What happens next? Even I don't know! Again, all of this is out of my head, so none of this is stuff I've pre-written into a notebook.**_

 _ **R &R!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**_And we're back!!! Right now, I'm so, so HAPPY!! I just got my first AND second reviews on a story in what feels like FOREVER, and now I'm going to give you a bit of a shout-out to prove my appreciation for this person!_**

 ** _Obsidian Tear : I'm glad you find my writing interesting, and I'm glad to be continuing_** **_this story! You see, everything I do is freehand writing, and I don't exactly have a set plot of events for every story in specific, but I do currently have a list of plots for this universe, so I've at least got this! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEW!! You get a free kiss from puppy Marrok!! Also, yes, they are a lot like children in this; just starting to meet everybody they'll know in the future, so I've got a lot of freedom with this!_**

 ** _Now, onto the story, I've decided that, since_** _**I introduced two of my OCs in the last chapter, I'm going to NOT skip the entirety of the time that Cad and Urii are gone, and instead put in some interaction between Embo and his two friends while the other two are gone! And Leik gets to meet Marrok the adorable white furball!!!**_

 _ **You guys know the disclaimers.**_

* * *

 _"No amount of me trying to explain myself was doing any good._

 _I didn't even know what was going on inside of me,_

 _So how could I have explained it to them?"_

 _~ Sierra D. Waters_

* * *

"So, Embo," Leik said, carrying a bowl of soup into the Kyuzo's bedroom, "how are you feeling?"

" **A little tired,** " he answered truthfully, leaning back against his pillows. " **But better than yesterday.** "

"That's good to hear," the Nautolan said, handing him the bowl, "because Sugi and I need to figure out how we're going to get supplies from the market while also making sure you don't hurt yourself trying to get something."

Embo just smiled, knowing that the two would find a way. In the short month he had known Sugi, he had found her to be clever, reliable, and kind, not to mention that she had a sense of honor that was similar to his own.

Maybe that was why he found it so easy to trust her.

* * *

"Well, Leik, I guess this is goodbye," Sugi said, as the Nautolan shook her hand. Urii and Cad had come back ten days after they left for their bounty, and now it was time for the two older women to leave.

"Yeah," Leik agreed, smiling. Then, she looked down at the white furball that was sitting at her feet. Picking up the puppy, she said, "I'm gonna miss you, too, Marrok. You're so cute!"

"Thanks for helping me take care of Embo," Sugi said, as Leik put Marrok down.

"No problem, Sugi," She said, "you're a good kid; you'll go far in life."

"Come on, Leik," Urii said, hands on hips, "We're going to be late for our meeting."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," the Nautolan groused, waving to the Zabrak as she followed her partner out the door.

"So," Cad said, as the door closed behind the two women, "have any trouble?"

"Not really," Sugi said, though her mind wandered to a few more nights when Embo had experienced nightmares. She had, of course, sat with him until he felt better, but he never seemed to want to talk about them. "We had a bit of a rough spot when Marrok decided to be Leik's alarm clock one morning, but otherwise fine."

"That's good," Bane said, swinging his pack off of his shoulders. Then, during that action, he hissed in pain, his free hand now clutching his left shoulder!

"You're hurt!" Sugi exclaimed, now helping him carefully extricate himself from his leather jacket, and going to check the injury.

"It's not bad; just annoying," Cad tried to assure her. However, Sugi could see that it was actually pretty bad.

"You've got a gash the length of my hand in your shoulder, Cad," She said sternly, gently probing the wound with the tips of her fingers. "And there's some metal shards stuck in here. I'm going to try to get them out… follow me."

"Ok, ok…" he relented, letting Sugi lead him over to the 'fresher, silently admitting that it actually did hurt a lot. When they went into the small room, Sugi had Bane sit down on a stool, and pulled out a first-aid kit.

When the Zabrak opened the kit, she took out a roll of gauze, a roll of bandages, surgical thread, a needle, some gloves, and a pair of tweezers. Unlike when Bane last saw her, she seemed to know what she was doing this time around.

"This… might hurt…" Sugi warned him, gloves on and tweezers close to his shoulder. Then, before he could respond, she plucked a jagged shard of metal out of the gash in his shoulder, and he couldn't help crying out in pain!

Sugi deposited the metal in a small bowl on the counter, and then set to work removing a more difficult piece. Cad grit his teeth, trying not to move and make it worse. Soon, the Zabrak had removed five shards of metal from the Duros' injury, and, after making sure there were no more, started to stitch the wound shut.

"When you said that it would hurt, I didn't know it was actually going to hurt," Cad said dryly in an attempt at humor.

"You'll get over it," Sugi said, equally dryly. Then, she finished with the stitches, and wrapped the injury in gauze and bandages. "You might want to take it easy for a few days; give yourself time to heal."

"Sure," he said, as the Zabrak put his arm in a sling. Were it any other time, he would have said it was overkill, but since his shoulder just had metal pulled out of it, he knew that it was completely necessary. "So, how'd you learn to do this?"

"Leik taught me," Sugi said, putting the medical supplies away. "When I told her how I couldn't really do much to help Embo when his wounds got worse, she taught me a lot about first-aid and medical procedures."

"Well, I'll have to thank her for doing that for you sometime…"

* * *

A few weeks later, Embo was finally back on his feet. He was still tired a lot of the time, but he was able to get around on his own. At least, around the apartment.

He was reclining on the sofa when Sugi came in with little Marrok, and the anooba puppy trotted over to him happily, his little tail a blur. The Kyuzo couldn't help but smile at this, seeing his little pet so happy to see him.

" **Come on up, Marrok,** " he said, patting the cushion next to him. The puppy obliged, springing up onto the couch, and settling down next to his owner after turning in a circle three times. Marrok lay his head on his master's lap, looking up at him with dark, loving eyes. Chuckling softly, Embo stroked the puppy's head, finding comfort in the softness of his white fur and the unconditional love in his eyes. Animals seemed to never be judgmental, not like sentient beings. " **Good boy, Marrok…** "

"He was very well-behaved for the vet," Sugi said, a smile on her face. "He sat very still for his checkup, and he had me hold his paw while he got his shot."

" **Sounds like someone has earned himself a treat,** " Embo said, and Marrok's head shot up in anticipation!

"I think that the someone in question agrees with you," Sugi said wryly, going over to where they kept the jar of treats. After taking one out, she handed it to Embo, who held it in front of Marrok.

" **Have you been a good boy, Marrok?** " He asked, smiling a little. The anooba puppy moved to sit back on his hind legs, his forepaws held up in front of him, eyes pleading. " **Yes, you've been a good boy… here you go.** "

He gently tossed the treat to his furry companion, and Marrok easily caught it in his mouth, settling down beside Embo again as he chewed on his food. Then, Sugi sat down next to the Kyuzo.

"You doing ok?" He looked over at her, still not used to someone being so constantly worried over him.

" **I… I'm still pretty tired most of the time…** " he said hesitantly, eyes downcast. " **It's gotten better, though…** "

"If you ever need to talk…" Sugi said softly, surprising him by laying her hand over his, "I'll be willing to listen. You don't have to be alone…"

Embo looked at her, staring into her brown eyes, searching for any sign of deception purely out of habit. Her eyes were soft and concerned, even slightly hopeful that he would accept. Then, he sighed.

" **Maybe… maybe someday… But not today…** " It was the best he could do. He didn't feel ready, didn't even know how to explain what he was feeling.

Sugi just nodded, accepting what he said. It was the best she could really hope for, to be honest.

But it was a start. Somehow, someday, she would know what he held within his heart. Until then…

She would never leave him.

* * *

 ** _Well, this took longer than I thought it would! I'm sorry I took so long, but the plot bunnies have been biting me left and right for so many aspects of this AU that I was honestly unsure of what to do first! However, this is the last chapter of this part of the AU, but more parts are on the way! Until then, may the Force be with you all!_**


End file.
